top 8 tips for enhancing your shower experience

When it comes to taking a shower are you really getting the most out of this therapeutic experience?

When you consciously create a satisfying shower experience you'll set yourself up for the day ahead, no matter what may come your way... and you could turn one of life's simple, yet great, pleasures into something even better.

Below are my top 8 tips in creating the best shower experience that won't cost you any additional time... well... maybe just a minute.

Tip #1: Shower in the Morning

Whenever possible choose to shower in the morning as opposed to showering in the evening.

A shower in the morning won't just make you feel fresher throughout the day, it's actually one of the best (and healthiest) ways to waken up in the morning... healthier than coffee.

Studies show that showering in the morning actually leads to better and more creative thinking and ideas. And because you relax and turn off for a few precious moments in the shower, showering can also lead to creative ideas to take shape or uncovering solutions to lingering problems.

Tip #2: Ease Up on the Lather... or maybe not

Bubbles are fun, right? Lather makes you feel luxurious, right? So why am I suggesting you might want to ease up on the lather?

Well the simple reason is that some foaming ingredients can strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving it feeling dry and even itchy.

If you simply can't bear the thought of not dowsing yourself in gorgeous foam (after all, that's what makes showering feel so luxurious), then here are a couple of suggestions:

• Avoid products containing Sodium laureth sulfate - this is the most common type of foaming agent used in shower products but studies have shown it to be quite irritating to the skin. Choose a much gentler foaming agent that doesn't penetrate the skin such as Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, the foaming agent I use in all my foaming products.
• Choose products that contain some nourishing ingredients such as butters and oils. Although you wash off a shower product the oils and butters in it will still have a chance to provide your skin with some nourishment.
  

Tip #3: Set the Mood

What do you want to achieve in the day ahead? Do you want a busy, energetic day or a quiet relaxing day?

Before entering the shower, set the mood in your bathroom that reflects what you want to achieve that day.

If you want an energy-filled day, play some happy uplifting music while you shower and let yourself go... sing along. Starting your day in such a simple way will have an amazing effect as it raises your vibration and makes you feel happy.

If your day ahead is one filled with relaxation and peacefulness, play some gentle relaxing music while you're in the shower, dim the lights and add a few candles too.

Tip #4: Turn the Temperature Down

Although most people prefer hot steamy showers, especially in colder mornings, it's actually better for our skin to turn the temperature down a notch and enjoy a warm shower.

You see hot showers can actually make our skin dry and itchy as hot water draws out the natural oils from our skin and then the foaming shower gel will strip away that oil, leaving your skin dry.

Also, if you take regular hot showers, you might also notice dry patches of skin that feel scaly or even start to crack.

If, when you walk out of the shower, your skin is red the water has been too hot. So, next time, turn it down a notch.

Tip #5: Turn the Temperature OFF

Does the thought of a cold shower send shivers down your spine? Surely it's adding torture to your shower experience, not enhancing it. But ending your shower with a blast of cold water has a number of healthy benefits for your body, according to "Medical Daily", such as:

• Increases alterness - a sudden blast of cold water increases our heart rate which pumps blood round our body, giving us a natural dose of energy for the day
• Improves circulation - as cold water hits the blood it circulates throughout our body more efficiently
• Stimulates weight loss - we have 2 types of fat in our body: white fat and brown fat. White fat is the one that lurks around our tummy and thighs etc - the one we acquire when we eat too many calories. Brown fat is good fat, used to keep our body warm. When our body is cold, brown fat is activated which leads to weight loss
• Speeds up muscle recovery - cold water on your muscles can help alleviate delayed-onset muscle soreness after exercise
  

Tip #6: Exfoliate Once a Week

Now I know I said that these shower enhancing tips wouldn't add much time onto your shower experience, and I know that exfoliating does add on time but, in my defense, this is only an once a week activity so save it for your day off when you have a bit more time on your hands.

Exfoliating removes the dead cells that haven't been able to naturally fall off your body, leaving fresh radiant skin glowing from underneath.

But you should only exfoliate using a scrub (such as a Spa Salt Scrub) once a week. If you use it more than once a week you could find that it'll irritate your skin.

I also recommend you use a product that also contains a blend of butters and oils as they will stay on your skin and help hydrate and nourish.

Never use a foaming shower product after a butter- & oil-based scrub as the foam will simply strip and wash away the beautiful butters and oils from your exfoliating product.

Tip #7: The Shaving Dilemma

Do you shave your legs in the shower? If so, when? Is it the first thing you do or the last thing you do? Or, perhaps, you shave mid-way.

When you shave depends on your skin type and on how smooth you want your legs to be.

It is recommended that you shave your legs at the beginning of your shower experience, for a close shave.

But if you have sensitive skin it's best to wait until the end when your skin has had a chance to plump itself up and your hairs have become softer.

Tip #8: Pat Yourself Dry, Don't Rub

Be kind and gentle to your skin and pat it dry, don't rub it and irritate it.

And, especially if you've used a product like a Spa Salt Scrub which has left nourishing butters and oils on your skin, you won't want to rub this off your skin, so gently pat your skin dry so it can enjoy the benefits of these beautiful ingredients.